Thursday, December 25, 2014

Hello everyone, the Fangs for Fantasy crew would like to wish you and yours, a safe happy and prosperous holiday season. We've had a rocky year at times in 2014 and we hope everyone will join us with a big drink and a bigger turkey

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Ok I have to preface this by the fact that this is a very long book that I did not finish because of issues I will explain. I haven't included a synopsis because the blurb for the book doesn't resemble what I've read - I'm assuming that a lot more happens so I will say if you don't find the beginning 150-200 pages the same kind of road block that I did, there's probably a much meatier story lurking behind it.

But I was forcing myself to read long before I stopped and for the sake of an honest review, it doesn't matter if your book becomes awesome in the last 300 pages, if the first 300 pages are too much of a roadblock to meet it. But if you can get past that road block, you may love it.

Now - onwards:

Recently we took part in the Book Smuggler’s holiday
Smugglivus and one of the points we raised on our Inclusive
Ingrid post was:

Sometimes Inclusive Ingrid wrote this book
to tell us that racism/homophobia/sexism/ableism et al is bad, guys. Let me tell you how bad it is, because it’s really
really bad. Have you not seen how bad it is? Don’t worry, this book makes it
very very clear. Example after example, incident after incident all explained
in detail. It’s a wonderful lecture on the damage and prevalence of prejudice!Unfortunately what it isn’t, is a story. Inclusive Ingrid
has sat herself down and written one long PSA, shoe-horned in some downtrodden
vampires and a werewolf who wants to expound on their women’s studies notes,
and neglected to actually include a plot. Or characters we don’t want to
cheerfully beat to death with their own sociology 101 texts.

That’s pretty much the very definition of this book. It
is there to make a point and it does to at length and with great repetition.
Some time ago I
read the Sword of Truth series by
Terry Goodkind which was, basically, a great big love in to Ayn Rand and the
joys of libertarianism. This book is Anarchism version – one long polemic on
how anarchy, no government etc is such a wonderful thing conveyed through an
alien living in a utopian society describing his world and showing us the way
to fix our world.

Now, I’ll add another preface by saying I am a very liberal
person – I am, in many ways, the commie-pinko-socialist the right wingers love
to hate – so many of the points the author was trying to raise definitely
resonated with me: environmental destruction, wealth inequality, lack of
representation in democracy, the way politicians try to hold power – so, no I’m
not putting this book down because it clashes with my political views because
in some ways it doesn’t (until the libertarianism raises its ugly head).

But it is mind numbingly naïve and simplistic to a point
where I’m not sure whether the author even believes what they’re writing or is
trying to parody them

Most of this lecturing is delivered by having an alien,
Albert, describe his society to many people, starting with married couple Tom
and Samantha. After many many many many lectures (and shenanigans from a Completely
Awful Journalist) a television interview happens which is very very very long and
this, in turn, leads to a big societal uprising that Tom and Samantha lead

In some ways it was very useful that it was an alien that
communicated their world and society because it required a completely alien
world and an alien society for me to believe it was workable. The inherent
practicality of it that even the book has to acknowledge is backed by a lot of
special alien woo-woo to cover any of the inconveniences that putting humans in
this system would bring (not least of which are the aliens not needing cooked
food, food storage, medicine, sanitation, construction, recorded history,
literature, written communication at all, transport, education – so much more).
Basically, the alien physiology (and low resource nature of their world)
renders any kind of collective undertaking unnecessary. They live as
free-thinking individuals without leadership, hierarchy, government or laws
because absolutely nothing in their society or world requires collective
effort. And even this doesn’t follow through in their depiction – because this
society with virtually stone age tool use (and even that is helped by an
incredibly convenient ecology that produces easily customisable items) has
still managed to produce chemical and biological weapons… somehow.

Bo is decorating (well, kind of) with Dyson and it gets
all sexy, inevitably when Bo suddenly pulls back. Dyson tries to assure Bo
there’s no strings attached but she claims a headache (remembering she’s a
succubus who can heal with sex and has previously used sex with Dyson to heal
while half dead) she pulls back a second time and rushes off for a drink. Dyson
is all confused. Bo is missing Kenzi

At the Dal it’s karaoke night. Because why not. A man (who definitely cannot
sing) is throwing a huge amount of money around, 2 women with him make out for
his enjoyment and someone puts a poisonous thing in his drink. This isn’t a
particularly ill thought out recipe but a poisoning attempt the man notices
when he freezes his drink with a wave of his hand.

Bo and Tamsin continue to miss Kenzi when Tamsin tries to
make dinner and they miss Kenzi’s effortless ability to produce amazing meals
out of the terrible food and awful kitchen. Instead they go out and when Tamsin
suggests finding someone to feed on, Bo again dodges the issue. Ruich guy from
the Dal propositions them on the street – Tamsin seems quite fine with this but
Bo is reluctant – until Tamsin comes on to Bo and, again, Bo ducks out and
decides they should go with rich Japanese guy. In case you missed the theme, Bo
is avoiding sex.

The next morning Bo and Tamsin wake up in bed together,
hung over – and they didn’t have sex. Bo tries to feed on Tamsin to cure her
hang over but stops – she can’t, which Tamsin puts down to breath issues. The
rich guy from last night is also there, playing with a knife. Tamsin is way too
tired to deal with this and fun in her indifference. He wants them to play
bodyguard

He takes them to dinner where Bo snarks about sushi and
Tamsin and the man (can this guy get a name please) explain that Taco, the ones
out to kill him are major bounty hunters. We learn he gets his icy powers from
his grandmother, Yuki-Onna and we get the man’s name – Musashi who Tamsin
fangirls all over since he’s a great warrior who fought in one of the fae’s
greatest wars. To counter Tamsin’s fawning fan worship, Musashi is an arsehole
to the woman serving him tea because she spills some (she snarks back,
politely, that her servers can’t pour tea because they were with him the night
before and are now hung over) – she’s also his sister and he introduces his
three brothers hanging around as well.

Bo gets back on track and asks why someone wants to kill
a great fae war hero and he hands Tamsin a scroll – Musashi is “ascending”
which means he’s becoming a god.

They leave the restaurant, brainstorming who could be
wanting to kill Musashi and are attacked by someone actually dressed as a television
ninja, I kid you not. He knocks Tamsin and Bo aside and holds his sword to
Mushashi’s neck (in TV land, you don’t kill someone without a dramatic pause to
spare them first) and sees his tattoos – the assassin falls to his knees and
kills himself for insulting the “exalted one” by stabbing himself in the
stomach. No-one thinks to get medical attention so they can question the man,
instead concerned with Bo who is injured and refuses to feed to heal herself.

Monday, December 22, 2014

It's time for this week's episode of Fangs for the Fantasy podcast - this is the last podcast before the Holiday break. We will be back on the 5th January at our usual time (but full of much much more turkey)

We're looking at the season finales of the shows we follow as the end for the holidays including Originals, Vampire Diaries, Resurrection, Constantine and more

Baldwin is dead, avatar of the god Baldr in legend he stayed dead because Loki would not cry for him – but this time Loki’s descendants grieved for his loss. With the myth changed, Laurie, Fenn and Matt are willing to enter the underworld and bring Baldr home – even if it means facing the dead, giant dogs and the goddess of Hel.

Even then they’ve still got Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor to find and an apocalypse to stop… and Matt, a 13 year old boy, has to grow into the shoes of Thor.

Plot wise I think this book has a similar issue with the last book – it’s very linear. They have a step-by-step plan and are railroaded along it. They have to rescue Baldwin, they have to find Mjolnir and to do both they’re basically told how to do both. We then have all the necessary action scenes described (and they’re really good, don’t get me wrong) and they all flow very smoothly, there’s little in the way of down time or dead places in the book – but it’s still linear. They have a task, they know exactly where to go, they go there, they fight whatever gribbly thing they have to fight then either they succeed and fail and move on to the next step. There’s no real complexity there. And it isn’t written badly and it certainly doesn’t flow better and it’s generally fun to read – but it’s a classic quest story. A well written quest story, a nicely paced quest story with some great description – but still a linear quest story.

The research behind the book is excellent with a real nice inclusion of all kinds of Norse legends and not just the common ones (Thor, lord of goats doesn’t make its way into many stories). I do so love the legends

One thing that does set this book above the first book is the character development – there’s a lot more of it. It also had some nicely fun moments in between the action

I am torn over Fenn. On the one side he’s a pretty annoying character – he’s surly and moody and his cousin Laurie spends waaaaay too much time tip-toeing around his stompyness. I honestly spent most of the book a little tense waiting for him to do something unforgivably outrageous, turn to the dark side, or otherwise make me want to strangle him. In the end he was still a character I didn’t like – but he wasn’t unrealistic, excessive or aggravating – or any more aggravating that a bad tempered 13 year old with a chip on his shoulder should be. I think there’s a level of realism to him, he’s had a hard pretty neglected life, he’s always been second or overlooked and accused (which we also see from the general Thorsen way of treating him and the other Brekke’s) and the only person he has ever had he could rely on is Laurie – who now has other friends and is supporting them and not just following in his wake. His behaviour is understandable – annoying but understandable and realistic.

The next episode of our podcast will be starting tonight at 7:00pm EST (12:00am GMT). It's the last episode of the year and we continue to work through all the mid-season finales on the lead up to the Holidays

You will be able to listen to us on our youtube channel, or by the link in the sidebar or by the post here that will be posted. We hope to see you there

Medea runs through the woods, chased by Jason. She manages
to hide among the trees and cower from him. He rants his promise of revenge for
her stabbing Ariadne. Jason tries to sell menacing and enraged. It’s kind of
like being menaced by a chinchilla. Mid rant he nearly stabs Hercules (who does
a much better job of acting scared – but means he now looks terrified of the
chinchilla). He’s there to call her back to Ariadne who needs him (Medea you had
a knife to her throat and failed to murder her. The other assassins will now
laugh at you) because they need to get her back to Atlantis – since Jason just
apparently left her to run off after Medea. Medea shakes and cries.

They get Ariadne to the palace and she’s put in bed and
the Oracle called in to work with Pythagoras on Ariadne’s wound. Sad faces
all round. While the Oracle works her ritual to save Ariadne, Hercules comforts
Jason who is beginning to lose his faith that all people are wonderful fluffy
bunnies.

Having done what they can, Jason goes to her side. Hercules
goes home to eat and where they’re hosting Orpheus. Hercules offers his
condolences since he has also lost the woman he love (Medusa) but Orpheus
believes love only dies if you give up on finding your loved one – he’s even
willing to go to Hades for Eurydice. This sounds like a lead in to Hercules
questing for Medusa (please! Medusa was awesome).

Jason spends the night laid next to Ariadne – still in
his zombie-skeleton stained leather, this is not hygienic! Ariadne started
bleeding again during the night. The Oracle makes a vaguely ominous statement
about the wound not healing. Using a ritual she reveals that Medea put a death
curse on the dagger – using Colchean magic that the Oracle can’t undo (do you
know what would have worked better than a death curse? Stabbing Ariadne in the
neck). After dramatically announcing that Ariadne’s going to die and Jason
refusing to accept it, the Oracle decides enough drama has passed for her to
dole out another tiny crumb of information – the Grey Sisters are super
powerful seers who will know a cure. They will also tell you upsetting things –
like Jason is going to listen to any warning.

Of course, being oracles, I predict they will say
ominously vague things without much substance.

Jason and the gang set off on the quest and Pythagoras
notices something is bugging Hercules – he teases him as is his wont and
Hercules loses his temper and snaps at Pythagoras for always making a joke out
of him. More prodding and Hercules reveals his Medusa angst – Orpheus and Jason
are both going to extreme lengths for the women they love and he hasn’t done
anything to help cure Medusa of her curse.

They make their way to the Grey Sisters cave and find the
three – eyeless crones carrying one large eyeball between them in order to see
(the Graiae). They ask what he has brought them and he has nothing but he begs
them to help; as they pass the eye back and forth he grabs it. He threatens to
destroy it if they don’t tell him the cure (Pythagoras and Hercules exchange
startled looks) – the cure is to anoint the wound with Medea’s blood. She’s at
the temple of Hecate in a forest but when Jason mentions how much he wants to
kill Medea, the Gaiae tell him their fates are entwined and everything will
fail without her (vague ominous premonitions! Ah the oracles never cease to not
disappoint). Jason throws the eye at them and leaves